Engaging Opening!

As someone who has been eagerly anticipating this book, these first seven chapters lived up to the hype. I really think Dennard has improved in her writing since Truthwitch and her talent for incorporating her great world-building in a natural way is on display here.
This book seems to be focusing on what I think are the strongest and most compelling parts of this world - the Nomatsi tribes, the Purists, the Carawen Monks and the Sightwitch sisters.
These chapters set up the story efficiently, keeping the reader enthralled, and every character is likable and has a very distinct voice and personality. I found Aeduan and Iseult's chapters to be the best and can't wait to read more of them; in my opinion those two are the most riveting characters, and the romantic tension between them in this preview is fantastic.
I'm very intrigued to learn more about Aeduan's father, who seems to have interesting motivations and is not the typical cartoonishly evil and abusive father I see a lot of in popular YA fantasy. I like how it's unclear how sincere he's being in that ending flashback, given his army's actions in the present story.
Also the cover is great!